A major project is in the works to make getting around town easier.

  • Major project coming to Pine Hills to help commuters get around easier
  • Lynx developing bus transfer station
  • Construction to begin next January

Lynx is developing a new bus transfer station in Pine Hills as part of the area’s revitalization plan.

The three million dollar project is still in the design phase; however, renderings show an open-air facility with possible retail spaces.

The transfer center will be constructed on a more than 50,000 sq. ft. lot located on Belco Drive near Silver Star Road.

The project is already getting the attention of community leaders and residents who have offered their ideas on what they would like at the new facility.

“There will be a place to sit down, there will be a place to have coffee,” said Sandra Fatme, President of the Pine Hills Community Council. “Oh yes! It’s tremendously exciting, I can’t wait,” she added. 

Fatme is also on the Lynx’s Pine Hills Transit center steering committee. She and her students, who are members of “Future Leaders United” have met with Lynx officials several times to discuss design plans.

“This bus transfer station is huge! This is a huge upliftment for the community and this is an opportunity to get the community engaged,” she said. 

It’s a change residents like Jay Davis are looking forward to.

“It’s a good idea, there will be more shade,” said Davis. She occasionally takes the bus with her 5-year-old son who attends school near Silver Star Road.

It’s a busy roadway, and without an area to sit at the bus stop closest to her son’s school, waiting for the bus can be tiring.

The project manager, Jeff Reine, has met with several members of the community including Evans High School students with the Future Leaders United group.

Among the student’s top suggestions to Lynx were features to enhance security at the transfer center.

“One of the things we know is safety is a big issue out there, so we are looking at what technologies we can incorporate going forward. We’ll have CCTV cameras,” said Reine.

Lynx is also in talks with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to discuss possibly relocating a substation to the transfer city, according to Reine.

Construction is expected to begin next January, and is slated to last about one year.

Ideas for the site include a 50,000 square foot building which may offer spaces for new businesses as well as parking and seating areas.

For commuters like Jay, the new transfer station is a win-win.

“More shade, especially when it’s raining, more people catch the bus and sitting down, because standing up and waiting for the bus isn’t [easy],” said Davis. ​